Do What is Right for You
In order to be successful, we need to modify our behavior in ways that we can accept. If we can live with the changes we make, we will continue on that course of action. Changing your health is all about making sensible choices. As soon as we forbid ourselves something or lose our flexibility, we've jinxed the action. If we can change how we eat and how we live by making real-life everyday choices, we have paved the road to success.
Two years ago, some blood work revealed extremely high blood sugar levels. The doctor I was seeing at the time, one I didn't particularly like that well, gave me an ultimatum. Either I start exercising and watching my diet or I spend the rest of my life on medication and develop diabetes. She wanted me to exercise 30 minutes every day. Well, something sank in. I started riding my stationary bicycle the next day. After five weeks, I had lost five pounds. It was a start and it was enough to keep me going. The next round of blood tests came back better for blood sugar and cholesterol.
I don't get 30 minutes on the bike every day. And, I don't get on the bike every day. I try to. I aim to ride every day. If I manage to do so five out of seven days, I'm happy. I generally will ride for 20 minutes. I know that if I want to see further weight loss, I need to increase the number of minutes and increase the frequency. In the meantime, the arrangement is one that I can live with. I schedule my ride for 6 p.m. If something else is going on at that time, I might not make it.
Two years ago, also, the company I work for started a walking program. They provided us with pedometers and a log book. If you turned in your log every quarter, you would receive an incentive for belonging to the program. We would get gift certificates, cook books, walking maps of Cleveland, and umbrellas. It was a great program. The members of the club challenged themselves to do better each week. The company challenged us to keep with it in order to get the incentive. The program has since changed, but I still log my steps every day.
Over the past six weeks, on the days that I work, I have achieved the 10,000 step milestone every day except for one. According to some sources, 10,000 steps is 5 miles. According to my pedometer, it isn't. However, I see a substantial difference in the number of steps I achieve on weekends and when I'm on vacation. I know how lazy I can be. My next goal might be to increase my activity on the weekend to achieve consistency.
These two things constitute my exercise program. These two things are not anywhere near enough, but they are things that I can live with and things that I can do. I've been tracking both activities for two years now. I think that is something to celebrate. I could have taken up another activity and I could have abandoned that activity a long time ago. I needed to do what made sense to me. I'm 14 pounds lighter now than I was. I have the potential to do more.
Two years ago, some blood work revealed extremely high blood sugar levels. The doctor I was seeing at the time, one I didn't particularly like that well, gave me an ultimatum. Either I start exercising and watching my diet or I spend the rest of my life on medication and develop diabetes. She wanted me to exercise 30 minutes every day. Well, something sank in. I started riding my stationary bicycle the next day. After five weeks, I had lost five pounds. It was a start and it was enough to keep me going. The next round of blood tests came back better for blood sugar and cholesterol.
I don't get 30 minutes on the bike every day. And, I don't get on the bike every day. I try to. I aim to ride every day. If I manage to do so five out of seven days, I'm happy. I generally will ride for 20 minutes. I know that if I want to see further weight loss, I need to increase the number of minutes and increase the frequency. In the meantime, the arrangement is one that I can live with. I schedule my ride for 6 p.m. If something else is going on at that time, I might not make it.
Two years ago, also, the company I work for started a walking program. They provided us with pedometers and a log book. If you turned in your log every quarter, you would receive an incentive for belonging to the program. We would get gift certificates, cook books, walking maps of Cleveland, and umbrellas. It was a great program. The members of the club challenged themselves to do better each week. The company challenged us to keep with it in order to get the incentive. The program has since changed, but I still log my steps every day.
Over the past six weeks, on the days that I work, I have achieved the 10,000 step milestone every day except for one. According to some sources, 10,000 steps is 5 miles. According to my pedometer, it isn't. However, I see a substantial difference in the number of steps I achieve on weekends and when I'm on vacation. I know how lazy I can be. My next goal might be to increase my activity on the weekend to achieve consistency.
These two things constitute my exercise program. These two things are not anywhere near enough, but they are things that I can live with and things that I can do. I've been tracking both activities for two years now. I think that is something to celebrate. I could have taken up another activity and I could have abandoned that activity a long time ago. I needed to do what made sense to me. I'm 14 pounds lighter now than I was. I have the potential to do more.
posted by Vickie at 9:56 PM
2 Comments:
yay, Vickie!! I'm glad I dropped by to check on you. Here's to both of us becoming healthier, happier people. *hug*
Me too, Mary!
Hey Vickie, that sounds cool. I've began a process toward better health. It's not extreme. Like yourself, I had to start somewhere. My body compisition has always been pretty good, muscle wise. I've a belly from time to time, mostly in winter. But I've the dreaded artery scaring and harding high blood pressure as well. How completely ironic it was to see this post, for me.
Here's to us being well.
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